Six Guidelines for Organic Gardening

Going organic is as much an attitude as a practice. The idea is to respect life in all its forms, instead of trying to dominate it. In the long run, your plants will actually become stronger.

1. Create healthy soil: add lots of mulch and dig in organic matter. If you need help to start with, buy certified organic soil treatments and manures from your local nursery.

2. Encourage biodiversity: plant many different species and intermingle them.

3. Rotate crops: in order not to deplete soil fertility and to reduce the build-up of diseases, don’t grow the same annuals, plants and vegetables in the same place year after year.

4. Understand the terrain: choose plants suitable for the soil, climate and aspect of your area.

5. Use organic controls so that natural pest predators can find their place in the garden. Don’t use chemicals at the first sign of insect infestation, and learn to tolerate some damage to your plants. In time, your garden will evolve into a balanced ecosystem.

6. Accept that in nature nothing is perfect, that some untidiness is natural and that mistakes and losses are an inevitable part of achieving a natural balance in your garden.